DISPENSING CAP

Abstract

A dispensing cap comprising a chamber; a seal; a releasing structure; and container engagement portion; wherein the releasing structure comprises a deformable upper wall, from which a seal engaging structure extends downward, wherein the seal engaging structure is configured to engage a portion of the seal, such that when the deformable upper wall is deformed, the seal is moved to allow the chamber to have a lower opening, and any contents contained within the chamber are caused to be pulled down by gravity and out of the dispensing cap.

Claims

1. A dispensing cap comprising: a chamber; a sealing structure; and a releasing structure.

2. The dispensing cap of claim 1, wherein said releasing structure comprises an upper portion and a seal engaging structure; and wherein seal engaging structure extends away from said upper portion.

3. The dispensing cap of claim 2, wherein said upper portion is deformable.

4. The dispensing cap of claim 3, wherein said sealing structure comprises a stem and a flange.

5. The dispensing cap of claim 4, wherein said seal engaging structure engages said stem.

6. The dispensing cap of claim 5, wherein said chamber comprises an open mouth.

7. The dispensing cap of claim 6, wherein said flange covers said open mouth when said upper portion is not deformed.

8. The dispensing cap of claim 7, wherein deforming said upper portion is configured to cause said flange to not cover said open mouths.

9. The dispensing cap of claim 8, further comprising an additive stored within said chamber.

10. The dispensing cap of claim 9, wherein said additive is a powder.

11. The dispensing cap of claim 9, wherein said additive is a liquid.

12. The dispensing cap of claim 9, wherein said additive is a solid.

13. The dispensing cap of claim 9, wherein said additive is medicinal.

14. The dispensing cap of claim 8, further comprising a container engagement portion.

15. The dispensing cap of claim 14, wherein said container engagement portion comprises one or more threads.

16. The dispensing cap of claim 14, wherein said container engagement portion comprises a frictional sealing surface.

17. The dispensing cap of claim 8, further comprising a tamper seal; wherein said tamper seal is configured to be broken if said upper portion is deformed.

18. The dispensing cap of claim 8, wherein said sealing structure comprises a reinforcement structure configured to increase rigidity of said flange.

19. The dispensing cap of claim 1, further comprising an upper portion; wherein said upper portion is rotable; wherein said upper portion comprises a lower opening; and wherein said sealing structure blocks said lower opening when said upper portion is in a first rotable position, and wherein said sealing structure does not block said lower opening when said upper portion is in a second rotable position.

20. A dispensing cap comprising: a chamber; a sealing structure; a releasing structure; a container engagement portion; an additive; and a tamper seal; wherein said releasing structure comprises an upper portion and a seal engaging structure; wherein seal engaging structure extends away from said upper portion; wherein said upper portion is deformable; wherein said sealing structure comprises a stem and a flange; wherein said seal engaging structure engages said stem; wherein said chamber comprises an open mouth; wherein said flange covers said open mouth; wherein deforming said upper portion is configured to cause said flange to not cover said open mouth; wherein said additive is stored in said chamber; wherein said tamper seal is configured to be broken if said upper portion is deformed; and wherein said sealing structure comprises a reinforcement structure configured to increase rigidity of said flange.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The drawings are of illustrative embodiments. They do not illustrate all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details which may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration. Some embodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/or without all of the components or steps, which are illustrated. When the same numeral appears in different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps.

[0013] FIGS. 1A-D is a set of schematics of one embodiment of a dispensing cap.

[0014] FIGS. 2A-D is a set of schematics of one embodiment of a dispensing cap 100 without the seal structure 110.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic of one embodiment of a dispensing cap 100 without the seal structure 110.

[0016] FIGS. 4A-D is a set of schematics of a seal structure 110 for use in a dispensing cap 100.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of a dispensing cap 100.

[0018] FIGS. 6A-C is an illustration of one embodiment of a dispenser cap with two tamper bands.

[0019] FIGS. 7A-C is a set of illustrations of one embodiment of a dispenser cap intended for use with small solid materials.

[0020] FIGS. 8A-C is a set of illustrations of embodiments of dispenser caps engaging different containers.

[0021] FIGS. 9A-D is a set of illustrations of embodiments of dispenser caps engaging different containers.

[0022] FIGS. 10A-D is a set of illustrations of an embodiment of a dispenser.

[0023] FIG. 11 is a set of illustrations of various types of dispenser caps.

[0024] FIG. 12 is an illustration of one embodiment of a seal structure.

[0025] FIGS. 13A-B is an illustration of a set of dispensing caps having a metal or metallized outer surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] To minimize the limitations in the cited references, and to minimize other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present specification discloses a dispensing apparatus that is designed to allow squeeze based dispensing of a liquid from a reservoir into a cup that may sit atop the reservoir.

[0027] In the following detailed description of various embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the embodiments. However, these embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

[0028] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still others will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. As will be realized, these embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. Accordingly, the graphs, figures, and the detailed descriptions thereof, are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection.

[0029] In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of one or more embodiments. For purposes of the specification, unless otherwise specified, the term substantially refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, in one embodiment, an object that is substantially located within a housing would mean that the object is either completely within a housing or nearly completely within a housing. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of substantially is also equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.

[0030] As used herein, the terms approximately and about generally refer to a deviance of within 5% of the indicated number or range of numbers. In one embodiment, the term approximately and about, may refer to a deviance of between 0.0001-10% from the indicated number or range of numbers.

[0031] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent about, it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are signified both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

[0032] Optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

[0033] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word comprise and variations of the word, such as comprising and comprises, means including but not limited to, and is not intended to exclude, for example, other components, integers or steps. Exemplary means an example of and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal embodiment. Such as is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes.

[0034] Disclosed are components that may be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This applies to all embodiments of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that may be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps may be performed with any specific embodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.

[0035] The present methods and systems may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the examples included therein and to the Figures and their previous and following description.

[0036] Various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. It may be evident, however, that the various embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate describing these embodiments. It is to be understood that the methods and systems are not limited to specific methods, specific components, or to particular implementations. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0037] FIGS. 1A-D is a set of schematics of one embodiment of a dispensing cap. As shown, the dispensing cap 100 may comprise a chamber 105, a seal structure 110, a releasing structure 115, and a container engagement portion 130. In some embodiments, the seal structure 110 may be referred to as a sealing structure. In some embodiments, the chamber 105, releasing structure 115, and container engagement portion 130 may be referred to as the housing 102.

[0038] The seal structure 110 may comprise a flange 111 and stem 112. The flange 111 may be configured to create an enclosed structure in combination with the chamber 105. For example, in one embodiment, the chamber 105 may be a cavity with an opening on one end (which may be described as an open face or mouth) and be configured to receive a pre-determined amount of material, and the flange 111 may be a size/material that substantially plugs or closes the opening, thereby retaining materials within the chamber 105 when at rest or moving. In other embodiments, such as when the material contained within the chamber 105 is a substantially solid material, the flange 111 may be large enough to retain the material within the chamber 105 without creating what might be referred to as a seal capable of retaining a liquid or powder material. In one embodiment, the stem 112 may extend from the flange 111 toward the releasing structure 115, such that the releasing structure 115 may engage the stem 112, and thereby, engage the seal structure 110 through the stem 112.

[0039] The flange 111 may also comprise reinforcement structures, to reduce the amount of material needed to ensure that the flange 111 is structurally sound, such as spokes 113. In some embodiments, the spokes 113 may be configured to reinforce the flange 111.

[0040] The releasing structure 115 may comprise a neck 125 and an upper surface 120. In one embodiment, the neck 125 may engage the stem 112. In one embodiment, the neck 125 may engage the stem 112 in a fixed manner, and in other embodiments the engagement may be not-fixed, provided that the neck 125 may prevent the stem 112 from disengaging the neck 125. In one embodiment, the upper surface 120 may be deformable, such that a user may push downward on the upper surface, which may cause the neck 125 and engaged stem 112 to move downward, thereby causing the flange 111 to also move downward, and allowing material contained within the chamber 105 to be released. In an embodiment where the dispensing cap 100 engages a container, the material may be directly deposited into the container by deforming the upper surface 120, which may also comprise a liquid. In this way, pre-determined amounts of material may be introduced to containers. This may allow users to carry around concentrated materials configured to engage a container and ensure that all the materials are deposited within the container. This may aid in medication compliance issues, or prevent people from measuring doses themselves and using an inconsistent or incorrect amount of materials.

[0041] In some embodiments, the neck 125 may receive the stem 112. In other embodiments, the roles may be switched. In other embodiments, any structure by which the neck engages the stem may be used. In some embodiments, the neck 125 and stem 112 may be a single unit, such that this unit may engage the upper surface 120 and/or the flange 111. In a preferred embodiment, at least the flange 111 may be removed from the dispensing cap 100 to allow the chamber 105 to be refilled after use.

[0042] In some embodiments, the materials to be contained within the chamber 105 may be a liquid, suspension, powder, solid, gas, or substantially any type of material.

[0043] The releasing structure 115 may comprise an upper surface 120 and neck 125. In some embodiments, the upper surface may be actuatable or deformable in a permanent or temporary manner.

[0044] In some embodiments, the dispensing cap 100 may comprise a medicine, supplement, or other consumable material in a particular quantity, and the dispensing cap 100 may be configured to engage a particular type of container, such as a water bottle, gallon jug, spray bottle, can, or substantially any other sort of container.

[0045] One benefit of the dispensing cap 100 may be that it allows a user to carry a quantity of additive prepared by a manufacturer or at home in a small form factor, thereby avoiding the need for carrying a container, such as a shaker bottle, that may be used on demand with containers available wherever the user is.

[0046] The dispensing cap 100 may also have the advantage of having relatively little material and be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, such that in some embodiments, the dispensing cap may be disposable. In other embodiments, the dispensing cap may be reusable.

[0047] The dispensing cap 100 may also have the advantage of allowing for precise and/or accurate amounts of materials to be stored within the cap for future use, which may be important in certain applications, such as medicines.

[0048] The dispensing cap 100 may also have the advantage of ensuring sterility or cleanliness of each individual dosage of materials, rather than providing users with a single container comprising a plurality of dosages which may be contaminated over time.

[0049] The container engagement portion 130 may be substantially any structure configured to engage a top portion of a container. In some embodiments, the container engagement portion 130 may be threaded. In other embodiments, the container engagement portion 130 may comprise a structure/material for engaging the top of a container via friction. In other embodiments, the container engagement portion 130 may comprise a structure/material configured to snap on or off a container. In other embodiments the container engagement portion 130 may be substantially any known structure or mechanism used to allow caps to engage bottles.

[0050] In some embodiments, a component may be considered deformable as long as any portion of that component may be deformable. That is, as long as portion of the component may be deformed, the component may be considered deformable. In some embodiments, the deformation may be fixed, or the component may return to its original configuration after a force causing the deformation is removed from the system.

[0051] In some embodiments, the chamber 105 may be a hollow cavity or other area defined by solid structures of the dispensing cap 100. In some embodiments, the chamber 105 may be referred to a reservoir when a material exists within the chamber 105.

[0052] FIGS. 2A-D is a set of schematics of one embodiment of a dispensing cap 100 without the seal structure 110. As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the seal structure 110 may be removed from the dispensing cap 100 leaving the housing 102 as itself. In one embodiment, the housing 102, due to the removal of the seal structure 110, may be incapable of retaining a material or additive within the chamber 105.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a schematic of one embodiment of a dispensing cap 100 without the seal structure 110.

[0054] FIGS. 4A-D is a set of schematics of a seal structure 110 for use in a dispensing cap 100.

[0055] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a dispensing cap 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the seal structure 110 may comprise indentations or protrusions configured to engage a matingly corresponding structure on the releasing structure 115.

[0056] FIGS. 6A-C is an illustration of one embodiment of a dispenser cap with two tamper bands. As shown in FIG. 6, the dispenser cap 600 may be substantially the same as dispensing cap 100, with the addition of one or more tamper seals. 605, 610. The tamper seal 605 may be a dome band seal and the tamper seal 610 may be a bottle cap seal.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, an upper seal of the dispenser cap 600 may be depressed, or deformed, which may break the tamper seal 605. In this way, a visual observation of the dispenser cap 600 may allow a user to quickly determine if materials contained within the dispenser cap 600 have been used, altered, or modified. In some embodiments, the tamper seal 605, once broken or otherwise impaired in a visually apparent manner, may not be recoverable to the original state. In other embodiments the tamper seal 605 may be reset, such as in a situation where the dispenser cap 600 is intended for reuse.

[0058] In some embodiments, the tamper seal 605 may be a structure that is known in the art

[0059] FIGS. 7A-C is a set of illustrations of one embodiment of a dispenser cap intended for use with small solid materials. As shown, the dispenser cap may have a chamber that allows material contained therein to be released upon twisting of a releasing structure, and the seal structure may rotatably unseal the chamber. As shown in FIG. 7, the dispenser cap 700 may comprise an upper portion 705 and seal structure 710. As shown, the upper portion 750 and seal structure 710 may prevent materials from leaving the cap unless the upper portion 705 and seal structure 710 are in a particular configuration (or range of configurations) relative to one another.

[0060] FIGS. 8A-C is a set of illustrations of embodiments of dispenser caps engaging different containers.

[0061] FIGS. 9A-D is a set of illustrations of embodiments of dispenser caps engaging different containers.

[0062] FIGS. 10A-D is a set of illustrations of an embodiment of a dispenser cap. As shown in FIG. 10, the dispenser cap 1000 may also have child resistant safety features to prevent children from accessing the contents of the dispenser cap. In one embodiment, the dispenser cap may have a concentrated chemical formula that is intended to be diluted with a quantity of water or other liquid for final use by the user.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a set of illustrations of various types of dispenser caps.

[0064] FIG. 12 is an illustration of one embodiment of a seal structure. As shown in FIG. 12, the seal structure 1200 may comprise a stem 1212 and flange 1211. The flange 1211 may comprise one or more grooves around a circumference of the flange 1211. In some embodiments, these grooves may be beneficial by allowing the flange to effectively engage more than one location of a housing to decrease the likelihood of accidental or unintended release of materials contained within a dispensing cap. As shown, the top, or proximal portion, of the stem 1212 may be tapered, which may allow the stem 1212 to more easily engage a releasing structure. In some embodiments, the flange 1211 may be a rigid, but still flexible material, such as rubber, silicone, cork, or other substantially solid materials with a little bit of flexibility, in order to adequately seal in materials contained within the chamber.

[0065] FIGS. 13A-B is an illustration of a set of dispensing caps having a metal or metallized outer surface. As shown in FIG. 13, various components of the dispensing cap 1300 may be a substance that is less reactive than traditional plastics to address particular stability needs. In some embodiments, the substance may be an aluminum, which may also be more aesthetically pleasing.

[0066] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, locations, and other specifications, which set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range, which is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[0067] The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the above detailed description, which shows and describes the illustrative embodiments. As will be realized, these embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the detailed description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, although not explicitly recited, one or more additional embodiments may be practiced in combination or conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection. It is intended that the scope of protection is not limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims that are appended hereto.

[0068] Except as stated immediately above, nothing which has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.